"I think we can agree that being a pastor is nobler than being a convict. But announce that you are a former pastor and there will be raised eyebrows and whispers as though you had identified yourself as a former inmate. Either will likely elicit the silent response, “I wonder what he did.”
Unless you are 65+ years old and retired from ministry, being a former pastor seems to be an indictment of your character, your faith & perseverance, and/or your obedience to God. Regardless, you didn’t finish the race. You either quit or got disqualified; and both are considered disgraceful. Been There, Done That
I had served as an assistant pastor in large churches for almost 20 years when I moved to the largest of the churches—a growing mega-church outside Nashville, TN. In retrospect I was ripe for a crash. It was with profound grief that I left the staff and the loving congregation of a church in South Carolina. When we moved to South Carolina I envisioned ministering in the Greenville church until my retirement which was decades removed. The pastor and I were childhood friends. This was going to be great! And it was… for a short while."
Read the entire article by Ramon Presson here.
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